March 27, 2000
Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2000 13:28:13 -0800 (PST)
From: "drDrew.com"
Subject: drDrew.com's Weekly Dose -- March 27, 2000
To: "drDrew.com Newsletter"
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THE OFFICIAL DRDREW.COM NEWSLETTER
March 27, 2000
drDrew.com. . . . Get it every day
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IN THIS WEEK'S NEWSLETTER:
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* drDrew.com's Cross-Country Blind Date
* Talk to Us: Staff Chats
* Interviews With Fishbone, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Leelee Sobieski, Megadeth,
the Jungle Brothers, and Leona Naess
* Ron Lester on the drDrew.com Show
* New Features Coming Up
* Bonus Q&A With Dr. Drew
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Drive Me Crazy!
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drDrew.com is looking for an adventurous guy and a girl willing to hop in
a van with a complete stranger for three months on a cross-country blind
date, a blind date that will be Webcast daily on drDrew.com. Hundreds
auditioned. Six remain. We need your help to pick the winners.
When you vote, register for a chance to win a trip to Hollywood, CA, to
meet the lucky couple at the Drive Me Crazy Send-Off Party featuring a
performance by SUGAR RAY.
Come vote for the blind date couple at
http://www.drdrew.com/promos/drivemecrazy/voting.html.
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YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? WE HAVE ANSWERS.
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* All chats are held in the drDrew.com chat rooms at
http://www.drdrew.com/chat/index.html.
* Monday: Chat with Dr. Drew before the drDrew.com Show, from 3:30 p.m.
until 4:00 p.m. PST, in the Anger chat room.
* Tuesday: Talk with Dr. Steve at 6 p.m. PST, in the STDs chat room.
* Wednesday: Chat with Dr. Tim at 4 p.m. PST, in the LGBT (lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender) chat room.
* Thursday: March is National Nutrition Month! Join Elizabeth Kozitza,
MPH, RD, at 7 p.m. PST, in the Diet-Fitness chat room.
* Friday: Ask Jenny Stallcup, RN, your questions at 5 p.m. PST, in the
Relationships chat room.
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THIS WEEK WITH DR. DREW:
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THE DRDREW.COM SHOW
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* Monday: Watch the show live with Drew and special guest Ron Lester of
WB's "Popular" at 4:00 p.m. PST.
* Watch the drDrew.com Show live at http://www.drdrew.com/show/index.html.
You must download a free RealPlayer or Windows Media Player before the
show starts in order to watch. You can download either player from the
show page.
* Call in toll-free at 1-888-4DR-DREW during the drDrew.com Show to ask
Dr. Drew your questions.
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HEALTHBRIEFS: HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE ISSUES THAT MATTER
http://www.drdrew.com/office/index.html
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* Tuesday: Calcium: Got Milk? How to protect your bones by getting the
calcium you need right now (even if you don't drink milk).
* Thursday: The chemistry's there. Now what? Getting to know your partner
through "Intellectual Foreplay."
* Saturday: What's the component that's missing from most workouts?
Stretching. Read our guide on "getting more flexible."
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QUESTION OF THE DAY (http://www.drdrew.com/office/qotd.html)
ASK DR. DREW YOUR QUESTION at http://www.drdrew.com/office/askqotd.html
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* Today: Am I a compulsive masturbator?
* Tuesday: Is it safe for me to start a weight-training program?
* Wednesday: Can an STD cause a sore throat?
* Thursday: Is it normal to want to be spanked?
* Friday: Why can't I make any girl friends?
* Saturday: Will mono affect my girlfriend for life?
* Sunday: How do I deal with the sudden loss of my sister?
Scroll down for more Q & A!
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PERSONALITIES: STRAIGHT TALK FROM THE STARS
http://www.drdrew.com/profiles/index.html
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* Today: Fishbone
* Tuesday: "Five Minutes With" Leelee Sobieski
* Wednesday: Jamie Lynn Sigler
* Thursday: "Five Minutes With" Dave Mustaine From Megadeth
* Friday: Jungle Brothers
* Sunday: Leona Naess
** Also, check out DRDREW.COM'S ENTERTAINMENT NEWS in the music and movie
message boards in Drew's Lounge.
(http://www.drdrew.com/lounge/index.html). Give us your feedback on
celebrity tantrums, traumas, and tepid romances.
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
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QUESTION:
I regularly take 24 to 27 Excedrin PM pills each week. Can this make me
depressed? Are there any other side effects to taking this many pills?
DR. DREW:
My questions are, "Why are you taking so much medication? What are you
self-treating?" If you're treating anxiety, which can be part of the
depressive syndrome, your depression may be becoming more prominent. In
other words, the Excedrin PM isn't causing your depression. It's just not
an effective treatment, and therefore, you may be experiencing more
symptoms of depression. Also, although it's not common, the sedative
component could accelerate depression.
Although Excedrin PM contains both acetaminophen and diphenhydramine
hydrochloride (a.k.a. Benadryl), the level you're exposed to (basically
three or four pills per day) is not particularly harmful. However, I would
not recommend combining acetaminophen with alcohol. This combination can
be damaging to your liver. Also, if you consume three or more alcoholic
drinks per day, you should definitely talk with your doctor. If your liver
is damaged, either from drinking frequently or from any other chronic
liver disease, your liver cannot metabolize acetaminophen properly, and
there is also the potential to damage your kidneys or cause kidney
failure.
QUESTION:
Sometimes my girlfriend becomes very tight and dry "down there," making
sex impossible. It is usually after we've had sex already, and while it
doesn't bother me all that much, she gets very upset about it. She says it
has never been a problem with her past boyfriends. Is this vaginismus?
What should we do?
DR. DREW:
This could be a type of vaginismus, which is the involuntary constriction
of the lower vaginal muscles. Typically, vaginismus is a sexually related
psychological disorder and sufferers usually fear intercourse and
associate it with pain. However, since these symptoms usually happen the
second time around (a short time after you've already had sex), this is
probably caused by some kind of irritation. In fact, when a woman is no
longer able to produce lubrication, it's normal for these muscles to
tighten to prevent further sexual activity. So there's less irritation,
you could try using a water-based lubricant from the start. You should
also pay attention to what is uncomfortable to her. If she gets to the
point where you're actually causing physical discomfort, it's likely that
there will be a reaction, such as vaginismus. Most important, be aware of
her feelings, and talk to her about this so she knows that you're willing
to work on the problem together.
QUESTION:
My boyfriend smokes, and it's the only habit he has that I can't stand. He
knows how much I hate it, so when we're out together, he'll never smoke
around me. But right after we have sex, he always has to smoke, even when
I ask him not to. He says he can't help it. Why is this?
DR. DREW:
Smoking can evolve into an addiction, just like any other, which makes it
a habit that's very difficult for some people to control. For some
smokers, environmental stimuli can trigger such intense cravings that it's
actually impossible for them to resist smoking. I've seen these patterns
develop with other addicts, too. People talk about smoking when they
drink, smoking after a meal, and it's not uncommon for people to crave a
cigarette after sex. There's a chemical reward activation, and regions of
the brain trigger these cravings. So it's a combination of environmental
cues and biological activity in the brain that creates this drive to
smoke. If your boyfriend wants to quit smoking, he will. If he doesn't, no
amount of badgering will make him quit. It's considerate of him not to
smoke when you're around, but you should also make it clear to him that
you're worried about his health. You could also call the American Cancer
Society and ask for their stop-smoking kit (call 800/ACS-2345).
QUESTION:
I'm a very depressed 16-year-old female. I live alone with my mother, and
every night for the past three years she has brought home a bottle of
wine. She comes home, sits in a chair, turns on the computer and drinks
the bottle of wine until it's completely empty. I am normally a hyper teen
who wants to do everything, but this habit of hers is depressing me more
and more. I really want to know what I can do to make her stop.
DR. DREW:
First, you need to understand that you probably can't make your mom stop
drinking. That's the reality of living with an alcoholic: once the disease
escalates to the point where the independent biological drive kicks in, an
alcoholic can't stop drinking, even if she wants to because she's
addicted. It sounds like your mom is well on her way to addiction, and you
must realize that her behavior is beyond your control. You cannot assume
responsibility for her problem. What you can do is go to Alateen meetings
and talk to other people in your same situation. You are certainly not
alone, and there's no reason to carry this burden by yourself. Talking to
other teens or a counselor may help you deal with the depression, or any
other feelings you're experiencing. Also, going to meetings may spur your
mom into action. When a loved one takes the initiative to get help, it
helps an alcoholic to see what kind of pain they're causing and may move
them to get treatment. You should also let your mom know how her drinking
is affecting you. Be very direct and honest, and tell her how her behavior
makes you feel. Your mom needs to see the consequences of her behavior,
and perhaps if she knows how her drinking is affecting you, that will be
enough to motivate her to get treatment. To find an Alateen meeting in
your area, call (888) 425-2666.
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IMPORTANT NOTE
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The content presented in this newsletter is not intended to take the place
of professional medical treatment. For specific medical concerns, you
should seek the advice of a qualified health provider.
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MORE DRDREW.COM QUESTIONS COMING YOUR WAY NEXT WEEK
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